How do I change my Windows settings so I can share my Business Contact Manager database with users on other computers?

Symptoms

You or an administrator must change some of the Microsoft Windows settings on your computer before you share your Business Contact Manager database with users on other computers. Otherwise, users cannot connect to the shared database on your computer.

Note: When you use Windows XP Home, you can only share your database with users on the same computer, because this version does not support sharing over a network.

Important: The following changes can only be made by an administrator.

Cause

Windows features such as the Windows Firewall and Simple File Sharing are designed to help protect the data on your computer. In order to allow other users access to data on your computer, change the settings for these features.

Resolution

Note: All of these changes can be made for you by the Manage Sharing wizard. These procedures will rarely be necessary.

Log on as an administrator and make the following changes. (If you are not an administrator, provide the following information to the administrator so that the changes can be made for you.)

Make changes to your Windows settings

The following instructions help you or an administrator understand the impact of the changes, and review the current settings before making any additional changes manually.

Windows XP

Change Windows Firewall settings

In order to allow users access to your shared database from remote computers, you must allow a connection (called an exception) through the Windows Firewall. In addition, you must add File and Printer Sharing to your exception list.

Note: You cannot share a Business Contact Manager database with users on another computer when the Don't allow exceptions check box is selected on the General tab of the Windows Firewall dialog box in the Microsoft Security Center. By default, exceptions are not allowed. When you change the firewall settings, Business Contact Manager for Outlook clears this check box automatically to allow users to access your shared database. Rarely, existing settings for Windows Firewall prevent this check box from being cleared automatically, and you may have to clear the Don't allow exceptions check box manually.

By default, firewall exceptions are configured only for the local subnet (a number used with the IP address of a computer to divide a large network into smaller networks) that your computer belongs to. This allows only users and their computers that belong to your subnet to access your shared database.

To allow a user on a computer that does not belong to your subnet to access your shared database, do the following:

On the Start menu, click Control Panel.

In Control Panel, switch to Classic View.

Double-click Windows Firewall.

In the Windows Firewall dialog box, click the Exceptions tab.

Click Microsoft Small Business, and then click Edit.

Click Change Scope.

Select one of the following options:

Click Custom List, and then enter one or more IP addresses, separated by commas.

Select Any computer (including those on the Internet).

Click OK to close all dialog boxes.

Additional Firewall Information

If your computer uses a firewall other than the firewall that comes with Microsoft Windows (such as a firewall from a network router or virus scanner), and you share data with a computer that is outside your firewall, Business Contact Manager for Outlook may not be able to open the port needed for database sharing to work. If you have difficulty sharing your database with users outside your firewall, you must open TCP port 5356 in order to share your database. For more information about how to open this port, see your firewall documentation.

If you delete all your shared databases, the changes you made to your computer’s firewall and the Microsoft SQL Server Native Client network protocols when you chose to share your databases will still be in effect. If you want to restore your firewall and SQL Server Native Client network protocols to their default settings, first stop sharing each database, and then delete the databases. For more information, see the Stop sharing your database section in Share your Business Contact Manager data with other users and Remove or delete a database in Business Contact Manager.

Change File and Printer Sharing settings

Rarely, Business Contact Manager for Outlook cannot automatically configure needed Windows Firewall settings. In this case, you must manually ensure that the File and Printer Sharing is selected as an allowed exception.

Select the File and Printer Sharing check box.

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

In Control Panel, click Windows Firewall.

In the Windows Firewall dialog box, click the Exceptions tab.

On the Exceptions tab, select the File and Printer Sharing check box, and then click OK.

Change Simple File Sharing settings

Simple File Sharing handles all remote users as Guest users. In order for you to control who has access to your database, you need to allow individual users access, and to do that, you must clear the Use simple file sharing check box.

Clear the Simple File Sharing check box.

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

In Control Panel, click Folder Options.

In the Folder Options dialog box, click the View tab.

On the View tab, clear the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) check box.

Click OK to close all dialog boxes.

Windows Vista

Change Windows Firewall settings

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

In Control Panel, switch to Classic View.

Double-click Windows Firewall.

In the Windows Firewall dialog box, next to Windows Firewall is on, click Change settings.

Click Custom list, and then enter one or more IP addresses, separated by commas.

Click OK to close all dialog boxes.

Note: You cannot run Business Contact Manager for Outlook when the Block all incoming connections check box is selected on the General tab of the Windows Firewall Settings dialog box. By default, exceptions are not allowed. When you change the firewall settings, Business Contact Manager for Outlook clears this check box automatically to allow users access to your shared database. Rarely, existing settings for Windows Firewall prevent this check box from being cleared automatically, and you may have to clear the Block all incoming connections check box manually.

Change File and Printer Sharing settings

Rarely, Business Contact Manager for Outlook cannot automatically configure needed Windows Firewall settings. In this case, you must manually ensure that the File and Printer Sharing is selected as an allowed exception.

Select the File and Printer Sharing check box.

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

In Control Panel, switch to Classic View.

Double-click Windows Firewall.

In the Windows Firewall dialog box, in the left pane, click Allow a program through Windows Firewall.

On the Exceptions tab, select the File and Printer Sharing check box, and then click OK.

Windows 7

Change Windows Firewall settings

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

Click System and Security, and then click Windows Firewall.

In the left pane, click Advanced Settings.

Note: If a User Account Control message appears, click Yes.

In the left pane of the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security window, click Inbound Rules.

In the middle pane, under Inbound Rules, double-click Microsoft Small Business.

In the Microsoft Small Business Properties dialog box, click the Scope tab.

Do one of the following:

Under Local IP address and under Remote IP address, click Any IP address.

Under Local IP address and under Remote IP address, click These IP addresses, and add one or more IP addresses.

Note: For more information about these settings, click Learn more about setting the scope.

Click OK.

Change File and Printer Sharing settings

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

Click System and Security, and then click Windows Firewall.

In the left pane, click Allow a program or feature through Windows Firewall.

Click the Change settings button.

Note: If a User Account Control message appears, click Yes.

In the Allowed programs and features list, select the check box next to File and Printer Sharing, and then click OK.

Reconfigure Microsoft SQL Server Express

By default, when Business Contact Manager for Outlook installs SQL Server Express 2008, it is configured to restrict connections only to users on the local computer.

When the Business Contact Manager database is shared, Business Contact Manager for Outlook automatically activates networking support to allow users on other computers to connect to the shared database by enabling both the TCP/IP protocol and the named pipes protocol.

To manually activate networking support to allow users to connect to this database from a remote computer, complete the following procedure.